Planning

Better Software Magazine Articles

Many teams work on several projects simultaneously, which is a mistake. By working on one project at a time and releasing early and often, you can achieve startling improvements in value for your stakeholders.

A properly conducted discovery interview can lead to a wealth of information. Steven Smith explores some effective actions you can take before, during, and after the face-to-face interview to help you master the art of the interview process.

A ScrumMaster's accomplishments often are overshadowed by the success of his team. But like every human, these leaders have a need for esteem and self-fulfillment. Learn ways you can help to increase your ScrumMaster's job satisfaction.

Everyone likes to feel as if her hard work and good deeds have been appreciated. In this installment of Management Chronicles we discover how the words "thank you" can become a powerful management tool.

Does the word "feedback" make you cringe? How about "configuration management"? Steve Berczuk has a pain-free plan for using your build environments and software configuration management system to provide the feedback that is essential to a successful agile project.

Humans don't handle complexity well, and we certainly can't see the future—which helps explain why our plans and designs so often are flawed. In response to this truth, our guest technical editor offers Payson’s Law of Imperfect Plans. Embracing this law can help you avoid the dreaded analysis paralysis and accept that perfection just isn't possible.

When your boss constantly has you doing favors for another group, it can get in the way of fulfilling your own responsibilities. Find out how defining your work mission to your manager and illustrating how "small" favors potentially cut into company revenue can help to get everyone on the same page.

In this installment of Management Chronicles, Peter Clark introduces us to a programmer who is trying unsuccessfully to complete a project mired in underestimation. Find out what you can do to keep your estimates in the free and clear.